Contributed Comments

Comments: Your comment and both captions are all correct. This was the only photo I had of east face, it just happened to be my Central Buttress route layout image. The MP caption probably should also say: "left edge of image" or something, but the "step, notch or bench" is obvious in the shot. Maybe I'll just try to find the image w/o the mark ups.

Comments: There are a couple truths happening here in this thread: while I dont really think the entire rock is a 'pile', I do agree that no one 'should care', but obviously someone did, someone that has yet to have the balls to expose themselves and their reasoning. For anyone that bolts in one place that they like to bash someone else's rock-of-choice seems a bit hypocritical, and yes this is a 20/20 reflection of the early 1990s attitudes of opinion, of trad vs. sport. I can't blame the author for ... more >>

Comments: There are a couple things we can tune up here: 1. The 'area' stated as So. St. Vrain is not Hwy 34. It's Hwy 36. 2. This is a very old ice climbing route. I climbed it back in about 1988 or so, and I was far from the first.

The old aqueduct up on that bench used to leak a lot, and the winter I climbed it there was an ice runnel almost reaching to the gravel county road, and not wanting to waste a day on WI2, we climbed it after work, in the dark.

Comments: Yup, these were all in Nov.-Dec. 2012. With the lack of snow & ice throughout the Park this season, this was a great, easy day out. Mostly I'd have to call these 2 Columbine routes WI3-, but that corner out to the left was fun. Paul Gagner also lead a nice mixed route left of that, that was probably 5.8+ with a couple blobs of ice at the bottom along the 50' left-angling traverse. It became a 45m route in all, and we had a great day out tucked in below the wind.

Comments: This route was a great destination for an early season warm-up (Dec. 2012), but I was wondering if it had its own name?. We also added both of the Columbine Falls routes & the ice "pencil" in the cave between them to call it a full day.

Comments: I agree with all the comments that this is a really fun route. Reasonably easy climbing which makes for a fast ascent. The steps/ledges/gendarmes from the top of P3 to the top of P5 go quickly, but I didn't realize that there was such a large horizontal factor to it. Lots of easy bouldering to get over to the 5.7 hand crack. BTW: 1. Pitches 1 & 2 can be combined. 2. Pitches 4 & 5 can be combined. 3. The rap slings for the 80' drop into the notch will need to be replaced following 2012. 4. Th... more >>

Comments: Since I hadn't climbed this route in 16 years, it was like an on-sight, but I wanted to add a couple notes to help folks out:

1. You may only need 1 x #3 Camalots, but also bring a #3.5. 2. I used no micro nuts nor anything smaller than a red C3 3. Doubles from #0.5 to #2 Camalot felt about right. 4. Nowhere did I understand that the traverse above pitch-6 was behind a gendarme along the ridge (where is steps back). That little piece of info would have made things flow f... more >>

Comments: Yeah, exploring is all great, but just to expedite the situation for the next guy: 1p - begin 10' right of the dead tree as described in the Malloy book. Yes, it's 5.8, but the last 25' are run out on slab, and belay at the large Douglas fir. 2p - ramble out to the RIGHT, following a gully toward another tree on the right end of a ledge (the elevation is even to the saddle in the ridge & the multi-geandarmed ridge to the left). 3p - the books says "climb a crack in the middle of the orange face... more >>

Comments: It would appear that this zone of the East Ridge of Hallett is getting (much deserved) traffic. There are endless options for good quality mixed climbing. It looks as if our ascent matched this description except for the last 30m and that we climbed it 2 months prior.

Comments: After climbing this route several times over the last several year, I think the consensus would be solid 5.10, with the crux being a long reach (harder for shorter folks) at the roof. Stemming seems to help maintain order. This is an excellent off-season, after-work, or 1/4-day destination. All 3 routes are quite good.

Comments: I saw the bolts a while back and was extremely disappointed. We skied up there last month, and while passing by, glanced over to the wall and did not see them. If they are now all gone = Thank You.

As for 'local review', I heard of none.

However, in the future, if you need a contact person to spread around questions to the local climbing community or RMNP, feel free to ask me. After ten years of volunteer service as an American Alpine Club Chairman, the event originator and organizer of Lumpy... more >>

Comments: In 25 years, Ive never seen this route in such poor condition. Much sublimation & delamination. A shit load of bare rock. The ice that is there is very dry & brittle, and much of that is thin, too. So, be careful up there.

Comments: Newz flash 1/8/2012: RMNP and access to the Black Lake cirque - Due to a Nov. 12 micro-burst, there are thousands of mature, downed trees between Mill's Lake & Black Lake. Many are ripped up attached to their entire root ball. If you plan to climb ice up there (like Stoneman or Yellow Tears or summer routes on Arrowhead, Chiefshead, Spearhead), expect a 4 hour approach.

Comments: Newz flash 1/8/2012: RMNP and access to the Black Lake cirque - Due to a Nov. 12 micro-burst, there are thousands of mature, downed trees between Mill's Lake & Black Lake. Many are ripped up attached to their entire root ball. If you plan to climb ice up there (like Stoneman or Yellow Tears or summer routes on Arrowhead, Chiefshead, Spearhead), expect a 4 hour approach.

Comments: Newz flash 1/8/2012: RMNP and access to the Black Lake cirque - Due to a Nov. 12 micro-burst, there are thousands of mature, downed trees between Mill's Lake & Black Lake. Many are ripped up attached to their entire root ball. If you plan to climb ice up there (like Stoneman or Yellow Tears or summer routes on Arrowhead, Chiefshead, Spearhead), expect a 4 hour approach.

Comments: Newz flash 1/8/2012: RMNP and access to the Black Lake cirque - Due to a Nov. 12 micro-burst, there are thousands of mature, downed trees between Mill's Lake & Black Lake. Many are ripped up attached to their entire root ball. If you plan to climb ice up there (like Stoneman or Yellow Tears or summer routes on Arrowhead, Chiefshead, Spearhead), expect a 4 hour approach.

Comments: Newz flash 1/8/2012: RMNP and access to the Black Lake cirque - Due to a Nov. 12 micro-burst, there are thousands of mature, downed trees between Mill's Lake & Black Lake. Many are ripped up attached to their entire root ball. If you plan to climb ice up there (like Stoneman or Yellow Tears or summer routes on Arrowhead, Chiefshead, Spearhead), expect a 4 hour approach.